The new improved Lance Armstrong discussion thread.*

[Crackle]

He comes over better in print than in pictures. Probably suits his insincerity better.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I actually agree with a lot of what he says. But it's what he doesn't say, and indeed what he doesn't even get asked that is equally important.

 

[rich p]

The statement that he and Pat M had a conversation months and months ago about a TRC implies that Fat Pat was aware of Armstrong's guilt at that time. Why else would LA have been suggesting it?

 

[yello]

I actually agree with a lot of what he says. But it's what he doesn't say, and indeed what he doesn't even get asked that is equally important.

It struck me as him trying to say things that people could agree with (UCI is corrupt, McQuaid's a chump sort of stuff). From anyone else you might think 'what a top bloke', from him it smells of agenda and manipulation.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

It struck me as him trying to say things that people could agree with (UCI is corrupt, McQuaid's a chump sort of stuff). From anyone else you might think 'what a top bloke', from him it smells of agenda and manipulation.

Indeed. It did also remind me rather uncomfortably of the way in which David Millar started to talk after confessing. Now I am not suggesting for a moment that Millar was in any way as bad as Armstrong, but in terms of a cynical PR strategy, copying Millar's model would certainly be a good one...

 

[smutchin]

Yes, I almost felt a twinge of sympathy for him until I remembered all the other stuff he conveniently doesn't mention in that interview.

d.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lance-armstrong-exclusive-interview

My generation was no different than any other. The 'help' has evolved over the years but the fact remains that our sport is damn hard, the Tour was invented as a 'stunt, and very tough mother f**kers have competed for a century and all looked for advantages. From hopping on trains a 100 years ago to EPO now. No generation was exempt or 'clean'. Not Merckx's, not Hinault's, not LeMond's, not Coppi's, not Gimondi's, not Indurain's, not Anquetil's, not Bartali's, and not mine.

 

[beastie]

AAAgghhh he is a total daffodil C U N T

 

[StuAff]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lance-armstrong-exclusive-interview

My generation was no different than any other. The 'help' has evolved over the years but the fact remains that our sport is damn hard, the Tour was invented as a 'stunt, and very tough mother f**kers have competed for a century and all looked for advantages. From hopping on trains a 100 years ago to EPO now. No generation was exempt or 'clean'. Not Merckx's, not Hinault's, not LeMond's, not Coppi's, not Gimondi's, not Indurain's, not Anquetil's, not Bartali's, and not mine.

I'd like him to suggest Bernie doped. To his face
FM's made a good point about LA trying to emulate David Millar's post-doping tactics. I can understand the cynicism about Millar- he only changed his tune on drugs after he got caught, fought to reduce the bans (but then so would everyone else), and so on- and it makes no difference if you lost out to him because you were clean- but what's he supposed to do? He wants to make a living in the sport, and his contrition & remorse does seem genuine. I don't know if LA is actually capable of genuine remorse for anything, his actions suggest anything but. I think I'd prefer it if he was as unrepentant as Vino (!), at least that would be honest....

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

I don't know if LA is actually capable of genuine remorse for anything, his actions suggest anything but.....

I agree totally..... for me the first part of forgiveness is accepting that what you did was wrong and saying sorry, so far Lance has tried to explain it, justify it and dig his way out of the hole he is in, at no time can I recall him admitting that he deceived people or lied. In fact I don't even believe he has even admitted to cheating as he seems to feel he was levelling the playing field.
He is just sorry he got caught.

 

[thom]

He is just sorry he got caught.

Yes, this is specifically my conclusion from Oprah. From a vague memory, he was asked about whether he regretted his comeback, to which he indicated that since he wouldn't be having his Oprah moment had he not, he thinks it was a mistake. He ought to have taken note of rich p's post a few years back.
From that answer, I can't read it any other way than he currently still wishes he'd got away with it.

The extent of the deception was so deep and ingrained into his existence that I think this is to be expected.

 

[smutchin]

I'd like him to suggest Bernie doped. To his face

Oh, that would be worth cracking the popcorn out for.

I don't know if LA is actually capable of genuine remorse for anything, his actions suggest anything but. I think I'd prefer it if he was as unrepentant as Vino (!), at least that would be honest....

Surely you're not suggesting that Vino has more integrity than Millar, are you?

As for Lance, as someone on twitter (I think it was nyvelocity) quipped, during that Oprah interview, you could almost see him thinking before answering each question: "What would a human say now?"

The man is a psycopath.

d.

 

[david k]

If Lance hadnt took this to knew levels and been caught after winning 7 TdF's would we have found out how bad the situation was? Will this in a bizarre way contribute to a cleaner pro cycling?

 

[StuAff]

Oh, that would be worth cracking the popcorn out for.



Surely you're not suggesting that Vino has more integrity than Millar, are you?

Heaven forbid, no!!

 

[smutchin]

Heaven forbid, no!!

Good! I didn't seriously think you were, of course, and I take your point about Millar, but I believe he's a genuinely reformed character and like you, suspect that is something Lance will never be.

d.